Maniac

Frank Zito stalks New York, kills women, takes their scalps and nails them to mannequins in his apartment, where he talks to them.

It is a truly unpleasant film and the unpleasantness is the intent. There is no investigating detective, no rescue, and almost no relief. Most of the running time is Frank alone, sweating, muttering, and the camera stays with him rather than with the victims.

Spinell was a well-known character actor who financed it himself and plays Frank with a self-loathing that gives the film its only complexity.

Savini's shotgun effect, performed on a cast of his own head, was made for this and is still one of the most-referenced gore effects in the genre.

Siskel and Ebert campaigned against it. It was never on the DPP list, which surprises people.